Re-Tayloring
Change of plans: What was slated to be the second location of Nella Pizzeria Napoletana (2423 N. Clark St.; 773-327-3400) at 1359 West Taylor Street has transmogrified into Davanti Enoteca, an Italian small-plates concept with Luigi Negroni (Carlucci) as chef. The owner of both places, Scott Harris, says, “Nella [Grassano, a partner at Nella] is just not ready.
LONGMAN & EAGLE Just when gastropubs reach a tipping point, along comes one with sleeping quarters upstairs. Talk about an overnight success. 2657 N. Kedzie Ave.; 773-276-7110 BIG STAR Memories of the Pontiac Cafe fade a little more with each taco. 1531 N. Damen Ave.; 773-235-4039 XOCO Now that he serves the best tortas and … Read more
I have a love/hate relationship with the Bravo reality show The Millionaire Matchmaker. That’s the one that follows silky-tressed L.A. matchmaker Patti Stanger and her motley crew as they set up a rotating cast of weirdo “millionaires” with an endless array of wannabe actresses and pharmaceutical sales reps with suspicious extensions…
As the last few Olympic events played out in Vancouver over the weekend, a clutch of battle-ready contestants gathered in the West Loop for a fierce competition of their own: West End’s second annual spelling bee, featuring a $1,000 grand prize. There was agony, elation, beer in boots, and a caller clad in a bumblebee costume—and our photographer was there to capture the contest in all its glory, G-L-O-R-Y, glory…
We used to drive by this one bowling alley all the time when I was growing up, and their sign said it all: Fun Is Bowling. The letters were tall and yellow against dull brown siding, with a smiley face tacked on the end for good measure. The message was simple but true: Fun is bowling.
Especially tailored to my personal requirements is the phenomenon of fancy bowling—you know, those…
A First Look at Gilt Bar
Some trusted FODs checked out Gilt Bar (230 W. Kinzie St.; 312-464-9544), the new American restaurant in the good-food–short-tenure space across from the Merchandise Mart (Aigre Doux, Pili Pili, Havana Club), when it opened Tuesday night. Here’s their report:
After four cast members of MTV’s runaway reality hit Jersey Shore abruptly canceled a weekend’s worth of Chicago appearances back in January, two of the newly minted celebs, Mike “The Situation” and DJ Pauly D, attempted to make amends by holing up in a VIP booth at Lumen last Friday…
You heard it here first: The Violet Hour cocktail whiz Mike Ryan will bartend his last shift at the Wicker Park lounge this Saturday night. Ryan has accepted a job as head bartender at Sable, an upscale gastro-lounge concept slated to open in the space adjacent to new Kimpton property Hotel Palomar (505 N. State St.) this spring…
Street Smarts: We break down a $12 torta by Rick Bayless and a $6 counterpart by a guy you’ve never heard of
Pollack’s Dinner at Prairie Fire in 145 Words
As I pushed through the door and heard the buzz at the bar, I thought, Please don’t let Prairie Fire (215 N. Clinton St.; 312-382-8300) be just another scene designed for noise junkies. Phew. It wasn’t bad at all. The crowd was more happy than hipster and never threatened my audio comfort zone. The one-week-old Prairie Grass sib doesn’t break much new ground but keeps its…
